Clarithromycin, an advanced-generation macrolide antibiotic, has demonstrated excellent in vitro activity against group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus (GABHS). Potent activity against Streptococcus pyogenes and a favorable pharmacokinetic profile have made it a reasonable alternative for treatment of patients with streptococcal pharyngitis. The safety and efficacy of clarithromycin and penicillin V were compared in a randomized, investigator-blind study. Children 6 months to 12 years of age received 5 days of clarithromycin suspension 7.5 mg/kg twice daily (n = 268) or 10 days of penicillin V suspension 13.3 mg/kg three times daily (n = 260). Patients were evaluated for signs and symptoms of pharyngitis, and throat swabs for culture were obtained prior to therapy, at the end of therapy, and at follow-up. Clarithromycin and penicillin V produced comparable rates of clinical success (cure + improvement) at the posttreatment (97% and 94%) and follow-up (81% and 82%) evaluations. The GABHS eradication rate, however, was significantly higher with clarithromycin (94% vs 78%, P < .001). Both drugs were well tolerated; gastrointestinal complaints were similar and mild. Resistance did not occur with the short course of clarithromycin or the standard regimen of penicillin V. Five days' treatment with clarithromycin was superior to 10 days of penicillin in eradicating S. pyogenes.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Clinical comparison of cefuroxime axetil suspension and amoxicillin/clavulanate suspension in the treatment of pediatric patients with acute otitis media with effusion.

Two independent, investigator-blinded, multicenter, randomized clinical trials, one of which included microbiologic evaluation of middle-ear fluid obtained by use of tympanocentesis, compared the efficacy and safety of two oral antibiotics, cefuroxime axetil suspension and amoxicillin/clavulanate suspension, in the treatment of children 3 months to 12 years old diagnosed with acute otitis media with effusion (AOME). Four hundred seventy-seven pediatric patients with signs and symptoms of AOME were enrolled at 20 centers and were randomly assigned to receive 10 days of treatment with either cefuroxime axetil suspension 30 mg/kg per day in two divided doses (n = 235) or amoxicillin/clavulanate suspension 40 mg/kg per day in three divided doses (n = 242). Patients were assessed for their response to treatment once during treatment (at 3 to 5 days) and twice after treatment (at 1 to 4 days and at 14 to 18 days). In the study that included tympanocentesis, bacteriologic assessments were based on middle-ear fluid cultures obtained pretreatment, and, when possible, posttreatment in patients with an unsatisfactory clinical outcome. Organisms were isolated from the pretreatment middle-ear fluid specimens of 120 (73%) of 164 patients undergoing tympanocentesis, with the primary pathogens being Streptococcus pneumoniae. Haemophilus influenzae, and Moraxella catarrhalis (27%, 24%, and 6% of isolates, respectively). Forty-four percent of the H influenzae isolates and 94% of the M catarrhalis isolates that were tested for beta-lactamase production were positive. A satisfactory clinical outcome (cure or improvement) was obtained in 70% of clinically assessable patients treated with cefuroxime axetil or amoxicillin/clavulanate, respectively (P = 0.40). With respect to the eradication of bacterial pathogens, in the study that included tympanocentesis a satisfactory outcome (cure or presumed cure) was obtained in 84% (32 of 38) and 95% (36 of 38) of bacteriologically assessable patients treated with cefuroxime axetil or amoxicillin/clavulanate, respectively (P = 0.26). Treatment with amoxicillin/clavulanate was associated with a significantly higher incidence of drug-related adverse events than was treatment with cefuroxime axetil (37% vs 16%; P < 0.001), primarily reflecting a higher incidence of drug-related gastrointestinal adverse events (34% vs 12%; P < 0.001), particularly diarrhea. Eight patients in the cefuroxime axetil group and 11 patients in the amoxicillin/clavulanate group withdrew from the studies because of drug-related adverse events. These results indicate that cefuroxime axetil suspension 15 mg/kg twice daily is as effective as amoxicillin/clavulanate suspension 13.3 mg/kg three times daily in the treatment of pediatric patients with AOME, but produces fewer gastrointestinal adverse events, particularly diarrhea.

Amoxicillin↗

PubMedDate not supplied

In vitro evaluation of a pediatric microaggregate blood filter.

Use of a pediatric stainless steel microaggregate screen filter to filter whole blood, gravity-sedimented packed cells, and centrifuged packed cells (cPC) from 20 healthy adults resulted in excessive levels of hemolysis (to 1477.9 mg/dl plasma hemoglobin with 5-day-old cPC) and unacceptable frequency of occlusion (10 to 40 percent).

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Fatal disseminated herpes simplex virus type 1 infection in a child receiving ACTH: failure of vidarabine therapy.

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Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Agreement between capillary and arterial serum gentamicin concentrations in neonates.

Due to inherent difficulties in blood sampling in neonates, specimens for laboratory analyses are often obtained by heel puncture technique. While agreement between venous or arterial and capillary concentrations of some substances has been reported, that for gentamicin, when obtained by heel stick, has not. Simultaneously obtained heel stick (capillary) and umbilical artery (arterial) serum samples were analyzed for gentamicin concentrations in 20 preterm neonates. Further, 14 subjects underwent manual manipulation of the heel to encourage blood flow before sampling to test the effect of such manipulation on gentamicin concentration. The agreement between capillary and arterial serum concentrations of gentamicin was found to be excellent in infants greater than 1000 g body weight. Manipulation of the heel had no effect on this agreement.

Arteries↗